One Day In Geiranger - Dalsnibba, Eagle Bend, Or Both?

[frisbeewife]

We will be docked in Geiranger on August 2 (a Sunday) from 7 to 4. DH and I would like to see the scenery but aren't all that crazy to take a fjord tour since we'll get a good view of the fjord as we sail through it. We are torn between a tour to Dalsnibba, Eagle Bend, or trying to do both. So I'm looking for advice on possible tour(s) that would leave a little time for strolling around town. Since it's Sunday I expect a lot of places will be closed but we'd still like to walk around a bit, weather permitting.

 

The Hobo Panorama bus looks like a great choice for Eagle Bend, but it doesn't go to Dalsnibba. I did find the www.geirangerford.no website and it looks like they have one tour for Eagle Bend and another tour for Dalsnibba. Also, RCL has 2 tours available - one that just goes to Dalsnibba and one that goes to both Dalsnibba and Eagle Bend. Keep in mind that I'm not trying to restart the old ship-vs-private tour debate. I totally agree that private tours are almost always better & cheaper than the ship's excursion. With some of the smaller ports, though, there aren't always a lot of choices for tours to places I want to see and I have to consider the ship's excursion as one of those choices. I try to investigate all options, weigh the pros and cons, and then decide what to do. Planning the trip is half the fun for me. :D

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Elmartellama]

We are doing Dalsnibba only, but it also includes another famous viewpoint: Flydalsjuvet. We're choosing it over Eagle Bend because it seems something different than what you can experience in a Fjord. That is: Eagle Bend seems to have a similar view from what you can see from the ship (but much higher of course).

 

Dalsnibba seems more adventurous, you go quite high, and in early June when we visit maybe there's still lots of snow.

 

I don't think you can go wrong anyway, the scenery is just wonderful no matter what you choose (weather permitting!)

[I-Cruiser]

I think you have gotten a really good advice here.

The trip to Mt. Dalsnibba and the viewpoint at Flydalsjuvet is more diverse.

Fingers crossed you get to see snow and ice on the lake (Juvasshytta/lodge) by just before the narrow climb up to Dalsnibba.

 

http://www.dalsnibba.no/index.php?lang=en

 

You can book the tour with the source you found. It will be just as good as the tour offered by the ship. I would think cheaper too.

The tour with the ship might take longer and include a stop at the lodge (Juvasshytta)?

 

This is the 2 hr tour if you go "private":

http://www.geirangerfjord.no/bus-tour-to-mt-dalsnibba

[frisbeewife]

Thanks for all the advice! I just booked the 2-hour Dalsnibba tour at http://www.geirangerfjord.no/bus-tour-to-mt-dalsnibba and if I did the currency conversion correctly it will be about half the price of the RCL tour. We get back around noon so that gives us a couple of hours to wander around town before the ship sails.

 

DH and I have wanted to see Norway for a long time now and we are really excited about this cruise. Almost done with the planning!

[I-Cruiser]

Thanks for all the advice! I just booked the 2-hour Dalsnibba tour at http://www.geirangerfjord.no/bus-tour-to-mt-dalsnibba and if I did the currency conversion correctly it will be about half the price of the RCL tour. We get back around noon so that gives us a couple of hours to wander around town before the ship sails.

 

DH and I have wanted to see Norway for a long time now and we are really excited about this cruise. Almost done with the planning!

 

Sounds great - I am sure you will have a wonderful experiance.

 

Geiranger is a small village so it will not take long to "do the town":D

 

If its possible you should ask the bus driver to let you off at The Union Hotel/The Fjord Center.

The Fjord center is a wonderful place to learn how life was in the area in the olden days.

There is also an absolutely stunning river walk (lots of steps) from the Fjord Center to the village.

The walk down will take around 20 minutes but I can assure you its really fascinating as the path goes out over the river, almost under a waterfall....

I know I keep saying this but you should pay a visit to the chocolate shop (all the chocolates are home made using local ingredients)

If you are looking for a place to have lunch or a beverage the perfect place is "Brasserie Posten" down by the tourist information. Make sure you get a table outside....

 

Lars:)

Edited January 22, 2015 by I-Cruiser

[lucyliz]

Hi Frisbeewife, I hope you don't mind me piggybacking on your thread. I also have a question about Geiranger.

 

We'll be in town on 13 May (Celebrity Eclipse). We'd like to take this bus tour http://www.geirangerfjord.no/panoramic-bus-geiranger-2 which lasts an hour and half, and we'd like to fit in a couple of hours on a boat hired from http://www.activegeiranger.no/

 

We're due to be there from 7am to 3pm, and while the two activities together only take 3.5 hours, I'm not sure how to fit them in. For one thing, we're due to tender. I understand that many ships now use the walkway instead of tendering, but how likely is this? I don't want to book the boat hire for 8am to 10am in case we have a wait for a tender. So I was thinking of booking the boat from 9am to 11am and then the 11.45 bus, arriving back at 1.15. But this only leaves 45 minutes to get from Active Geiranger to the bus stop, and according to google maps it's a half hour walk, so I'm concerned that if there's a queue at the bus ticket office we won't have time. I'd rather not book the 12.45 bus as that's due back in at 2.15 which is a bit too close for comfort.

 

Alternatively, the first bus of the day is at 9.45 - 11.15. We could get this and then book the boat from 12-2pm. But again, I'm concerned about the walk back from the boat hire place - a half hour walk doesn't bother me, but if we are tendering, we might be cutting it fine for the all-aboard time.

 

Any suggestions appreciated!

Lucy

[jenf22]

I'm another person who is sorry to hijack a thread... Do you guys think it's crazy to try to do both bus tours via the fjordservice and then do the boat tour through them too? I'm on NCL Star on 8-Jun and the ship is listed in port from 7-5pm. The tours I'm interested in are:

 

Panorama Bus Tour 9:45 - 11:15am

Dalsnibba/Mountain Highlight Bus Tour 12-2pm

Geirangerfjord Sightseeing T/R 2:30-4:05pm

 

NCL does say something about being on board 2 hours prior to departure. Does that mean 3pm? (and we tender too) That seems really early to me :confused: Any thoughts?

Edited January 23, 2015 by jenf22

[prish]

We did both, 15 of us from our Roll Call took a 3 hour private tour, on the way back some of us got off at the Fjord Center and walked down into town. Geiranger is a very small place and easily covered in about an hour. The tour cost $50/pp (info@geirangertaxi.no)

Edited January 23, 2015 by prish

[fabnfortysomething]

I'm another person who is sorry to hijack a thread... Do you guys think it's crazy to try to do both bus tours via the fjordservice and then do the boat tour through them too? I'm on NCL Star on 8-Jun and the ship is listed in port from 7-5pm. The tours I'm interested in are:

 

Panorama Bus Tour 9:45 - 11:15am

Dalsnibba/Mountain Highlight Bus Tour 12-2pm

Geirangerfjord Sightseeing T/R 2:30-4:05pm

 

NCL does say something about being on board 2 hours prior to departure. Does that mean 3pm? (and we tender too) That seems really early to me :confused: Any thoughts?

 

hi

 

we're doing the same itinery 20 May and so far have just booked the 12 -2 mountain bus tour

 

the being back on board 2 hours prior to departure only applies to embarkation port ie Copenhagen

The other ports all aboard time is 30 mins prior to departure ie 4.30

so better than 3pm but I'd be a bit edgy about the 4.05 end to tour

 

personally doing a 1 1/2 hour bus tour around hair pin bends immediately followed by another 2 hours in another bus would be too much for me-the idea of doing the sightseeing boat tour at 9.30 followed by the mountain bus tour however sounds more appealing and am considering that myself now

 

that will give 2 1/2 hours before need to be back on board and some time to wander round or go back to ship early and enjoy a quiet ship

[frisbeewife]

I'm another person who is sorry to hijack a thread... Do you guys think it's crazy to try to do both bus tours via the fjordservice and then do the boat tour through them too? I'm on NCL Star on 8-Jun and the ship is listed in port from 7-5pm. The tours I'm interested in are:

 

Panorama Bus Tour 9:45 - 11:15am

Dalsnibba/Mountain Highlight Bus Tour 12-2pm

Geirangerfjord Sightseeing T/R 2:30-4:05pm

 

NCL does say something about being on board 2 hours prior to departure. Does that mean 3pm? (and we tender too) That seems really early to me :confused: Any thoughts?

 

That last tour sounds like it's cutting it pretty close to me. You usually need to be back on board 30 minutes before sailing, which would be 4:30, but the last tender might be something like 4:15 so they get everybody on board by 4:30. And the tender lines get really long as it gets closer to the last departure.

 

Personally, I would eliminate one of the tours and try to wrap it up by 2 or 2:30 to give yourself some leeway and some leisure time before heading back to the ship. I'm guessing you're stopping at other Norwegian ports too so you'll have lots of opportunities to see mountain views and fjords. Don't try to cram too much into one day or you'll be too exhausted to enjoy yourself. Just my opinion, of course. :)

[jenf22]

That last tour sounds like it's cutting it pretty close to me. You usually need to be back on board 30 minutes before sailing, which would be 4:30, but the last tender might be something like 4:15 so they get everybody on board by 4:30. And the tender lines get really long as it gets closer to the last departure.

 

Personally, I would eliminate one of the tours and try to wrap it up by 2 or 2:30 to give yourself some leeway and some leisure time before heading back to the ship. I'm guessing you're stopping at other Norwegian ports too so you'll have lots of opportunities to see mountain views and fjords. Don't try to cram too much into one day or you'll be too exhausted to enjoy yourself. Just my opinion, of course. :)

 

Perfect. Thanks for all the replies. I kind of forgot to factor in the tender part. So now I just need to figure out which bus tour to take - the Eagle Bend one or Mt. Dal one. I think I'm leaning towards Mt. Dal. The fjord service has combo tours with one bus route and the boat tour. The latest option is done by 2pm, so I'm good whatever I pick. Thanks everyone!

[frisbeewife]

So now I just need to figure out which bus tour to take - the Eagle Bend one or Mt. Dal one.

 

See - you weren't hijacking the thread at all! You're back to the original question..... :D

[Elmartellama]

Sounds great - I am sure you will have a wonderful experiance.

 

Geiranger is a small village so it will not take long to "do the town":D

 

If its possible you should ask the bus driver to let you off at The Union Hotel/The Fjord Center.

The Fjord center is a wonderful place to learn how life was in the area in the olden days.

There is also an absolutely stunning river walk (lots of steps) from the Fjord Center to the village.

The walk down will take around 20 minutes but I can assure you its really fascinating as the path goes out over the river, almost under a waterfall....

I know I keep saying this but you should pay a visit to the chocolate shop (all the chocolates are home made using local ingredients)

If you are looking for a place to have lunch or a beverage the perfect place is "Brasserie Posten" down by the tourist information. Make sure you get a table outside....

 

Lars:)

 

Good advice! Thank you, I had no idea, and it looks amazing.

 

Do you think we can make it in 1 hour from Geiranger tourist info to this point of the path up and down in one hour more or less? Google maps it's terrible for Geiranger and that path does not show at all.

 

https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=3172&with_photo_id=108685529&order=date_desc&user=1109631

 

I will ask the driver to drop us off at the Union Hotel, but maybe they don't do that... Otherwise weather permitting we should have a walk from 14:00 to 15:00 (15:30 tops) and then have lunch at the ship. It leaves at 17:00h.

[I-Cruiser]

Good advice! Thank you, I had no idea, and it looks amazing.

 

Do you think we can make it in 1 hour from Geiranger tourist info to this point of the path up and down in one hour more or less? Google maps it's terrible for Geiranger and that path does not show at all.

 

https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=3172&with_photo_id=108685529&order=date_desc&user=1109631

 

I will ask the driver to drop us off at the Union Hotel, but maybe they don't do that... Otherwise weather permitting we should have a walk from 14:00 to 15:00 (15:30 tops) and then have lunch at the ship. It leaves at 17:00h.

 

Yes, you can walk up and down in 1hr. Lets say you use 20 minutes each way from the tourist Info.

 

Here are some pictures from the River Walk.

 

 

[Elmartellama]

Thanks for the info and the pictures!

[FunCruiser56]

So much wonderful information! The pictures are stunning:)

Since we will be visiting Geiranger on a Sunday will anything be open?

Bev

 

 

Sent from my SM-T900 using Forums mobile app

[I-Cruiser]

So much wonderful information! The pictures are stunning:)

Since we will be visiting Geiranger on a Sunday will anything be open?

Bev

 

 

Sent from my SM-T900 using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, Geiranger is a well oiled tourist machine so all the stores will be open and happy to see you:):)